Vibes, a Provider of Mobile Marketing Tech, Launches ‘Mobile Wallet as a Channel’

As mobile-wallet technology matures, marketers are starting to look at ways to reach consumers with content that stays in the wallet as permanently as a credit or debit card. The latest move in this direction emerged Wednesday with the unveiling of “Mobile Wallet as a Channel,” a service that lets marketers embed digital content such as coupons, tickets, appointment reminders, and even room keys in Apple Wallet or Google Pay, according to Vibes, the Chicago-based mobile-messaging platform behind the service.

The persistent content can be delivered to consumers’ devices in the form of a so-called mobile-wallet pass, Vibes says, allowing users to access the embedded content as the need arises without having to open a separate app. “Once a consumer downloads a mobile pass from a brand, marketers have a new and lasting way to personally connect with them, such as delivering customized offers and building an interactive loyalty relationship,” notes Alex Campbell, cofounder and chief information officer at Vibes, in a statement. Among the company’s clients are brands such as Ralph Lauren, Dollar General, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Chipotle, and Sephora.

Along with the Mobile Wallet as a Channel launch, the company says it is also unveiling two other services. One of these involves the ability for clients to send automated messages, such as payment reminders, to a user’s lock screen, regardless of whether the user has downloaded the brand’s app. The other, called Dynamic Strip Images, allows clients to automatically update a mobile pass when a change in status occurs, such as with a loyalty-membership level.

The moves by Vibes come as mobile-wallet providers are exploring—and, in some cases, implementing—capabilities that complement or go beyond basic digital-payment functions. PayPal Holdings Inc., for example, in September introduced what it calls a super app that offers such features as a high-yield savings account via long-time PayPal partner Synchrony Bank, cash back or PayPal shopping credit on spending, consolidated bill payment, direct deposit for early access to wages, and a utility to buy, hold, and sell cryptocurrency.

The key with both the super app and mobile pass concepts is consumer engagement, experts say. “Mobile Wallet [as a Channel] creates a two-way vehicle through which brands can forge a consistent, personal connection with consumers,” says Campbell, in a statement.